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Food for Living: Your time, Your life
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Life is the most precious and valuable asset a living being has. That’s why they find it hard to give up when danger comes. However, it’s quite unfortunate many people decide to take their lives when they feel frustrated as a result of one challenge or another.
But at the center of your life is your time.
What you do with your time determines how your life will unfold. If you use your time wisely by engaging in productive activities, you are bound to reap the fruits of your labour. If you spend your time on irrelevant things and people, you are as good as dead, though still existing.
Oftentimes, we read the biographies and autobiographies of some people; what makes their stories interesting are the challenges they had to go through and how they overcome them. But the most significant part of their success story is that they were intentional and deliberate in investing their time in developing their craft. In similar vein, if you are asked, what’s the story of your life? What will you say? I believe in answering this question, you will also take into consideration what you invested your time in, the people you met, and the places you went that changed the trajectory of your life. This goes to tell you that the story of your life is not complete without the mention of the time in your life. Moral: You are in control of your life, you decide what happens to your life.
In my first published book Design Your Destiny, I stressed the importance of time and how you can design your life by first of all having a purpose, knowing what you want, identifying what’s unique about you, making the right choice, turning your failures into your friend in order to unleash your potentials, practicing meditation, appreciating who you are by practicing gratitude, making judicious use of your time, and networking with the right people, associations, and organisations.
According to Fela Durutoye, a leadership coach, “if you waste your time, you are committing murder, but if you waste other people’s time, you are committing suicide”. It’s important to note that, as human beings, we all have 24hours like every other great person, but what makes the difference is what we invest and do with our time. Your time can be regarded as your life. Isn’t it true that what you focus on, expands? If you give your energy to studying, attending resourceful events, looking out for the right mentors, and being deliberate and international in what you are doing, you are more than likely to reap the benefits.
You cannot underestimate the value of time. When asked what do you prefer most, your time or life, what will be your response? Even though both of time are extremely important, life will likely be more valuable to you, but if you look closely, time is what makes up your life. So, both are extremely important.
As humans, one of the strongest powers in life is the power to decide on what we want, and this power is centered on choice. The power of choice cannot be overemphasized. You can say, your choice is your life. Choice is the greatest power available to mankind. In whatever you do, you are making choice. Choice is not only applicable in elections, it governs your entire life. For instance, before you eat a particular meal, you have a choice of eating other varieties of food, before you wear a particular cloth, you made a conscious choice on the reason and purpose the cloth will serve you before you chose a course of study and career path, you decide on the interest, even in marriage, business, and in your personal and professional life, you are continuously in the habit if making a decision on what to do.
One of the ways to know a human being is to see what they invest their time on. In order to make a headway in life, you have to be intentional and deliberate on the kind of choice you are willing to make because your life is centered on the choice you make and the time you are willing to invest in the choice.
A great factor that can influence your life is the sacrifice you are willing to make to achieve what you desire. Anything you literally desire, you will make time for it. That’s just the bitter truth, you cannot like somebody and not have time to relate with them. Nobody is literally too busy to pick your call, if you are very important to them, they will either pick your call when you call or return your call as soon as practicable if they were not available to pick your call when you called. Moral: You will sacrifice your time for what you want.
I don’t really believe people have no time; we all have time, it’s just that we apportion our time to our interest. Haven’t you seen people reading a lengthy post, buy books, watching Netflix, Hollywood, and Nollywood videos? Some people even travel and pay for services in thousands of dollars. Why, because they see value in it.
Another component of your life is your health. Your health is the greatest asset you have. When you lose your health, you have lost everything. You will only be alive to work, read, and enjoy life, but if you have not health on your side, you’ll be forced to accept your faith. That is it is highly advisable to spend a great deal of time taking care of your health. I personally sleep, play music, travel, and enjoy the company of others when I’m stressed or feel tired in order to rejig myself, but none has been more potent than having a good rest, a good sleep. The feeling is priceless.
In conclusion, when your time and life align, you will get satisfaction, fulfillment, joy, and happiness. You will know your strength and weakness. You will discover your interest and what works and what doesn’t work for you. All these are sources of strength for you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a mindset coach and public speaker. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Nigerian Police Force has denied allegation of instigating Chieftainy Crisis in Osun community.
The Force made the rebuttal via a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), ASP Mayegun Aminat, on behalf of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police incharge of the unit, AIG Ogundele Ayodeji, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
The statement noted that it was imperative to make the clarification, stressing that both the Online report and the petitioners were false in their narratives.
The FCID maintained at no point did Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun involved himself or the police in the chieftaincy tussle of the community, adding the IGP has no knowledge of what was going.
The statement reads in full:
Clarification on False Report Regarding Chieftaincy and Police Involvement in Kingship Selection.
The Nigeria Police Force has become aware of a false and misleading report published by Sahara, which claims that the “Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, passed down an order from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrest the intending Chief and threatened other kingmakers who insisted that due process must be followed.”
We wish to categorically clarify that this report is inaccurate and does not reflect the facts. The Nigeria Police Force is not involved in the selection of traditional leaders, and at no point did the IGP order the arrest of any individual in connection with the kingship selection process.
The arrest mentioned in the report was carried out following a formal petition submitted by members of the community. The petition alleged that certain kingmakers were engaging in acts of extortion, bribery, conduct likely and threat to life and demanding money from individuals seeking to assume the position of the Olojudo. This form of conduct is not only unethical but violates traditional practices and undermines the integrity of the selection process.
Upon receipt of the petition, detectives from the Special Enquiry Bureau at the FCID Annex in Lagos launched a thorough investigation. The investigation led to the questioning of one individual who admitted to receiving money, as detailed in the petition. Furthermore, this individual acknowledged that others were also involved in this illegal practice and confirmed that payments were made to secure positions.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional individuals suspected of being involved in extortion and bribery will be invited for questioning. Once the investigation is complete, legal charges will be filed against those found culpable.
AIG Ogundele Ayodeji, psc+, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the FCID Annex Lagos, has urged the public to come forward with any relevant information that could assist in the investigation and ensure that justice is served. He also issued a stern warning to anyone attempting to involve the leadership of the IGP or the Nigeria Police Force in corrupt practices. AIG Ogundele Ayodeji emphasized that anyone found guilty of such behavior will face the full force of the law. As Nigeria police force is not part of kingship selection process and wont parake in such act as the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to maintaining professionalism, integrity, and transparency in all its operations. We reiterate the IGP’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption and affirm that the Force will continue to work diligently to ensure that justice is upheld in all matters.
NTT Summit confirms Keyamo, Musawa, three other ministers for 7th edition in Abuja
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, and his counterpart at the Ministry of Culture, Arts, Tourism and Creative Economy, Dr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, are among a host of five federal ministers billed to participate at the 7th edition of the National Tourism Transportation (NTT) Summit and Expo, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
According to the chairman, organizing committee, Mr. Odusanwo, this year’s Summit is to reaffirm the need for synergy and collaboration in areas of operations of the tourism transportation sector for national economic growth and development, as he reeled out some of the presentations expected as sub-themes of the Summit during plenary sessions.
He further disclosed that event speakers for this year’s edition are drawn from key players of the public sector, represented by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and the Organized Private Sector (OPS), as drivers of the industry.
“These include; the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), leading discussions on the sub-theme; “Encourage Massive Investment in Water Front Properties, Resource and Etiquette Training;” Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), to head discussions on: ‘Connect and Explore: Trusted Travel Hub for Seamless Journeys’.
“The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) will lead presentations on ‘The Relevance of Directional Signs in Tourism Transportation’ ; and the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) will lead presentations on ‘Artistic Collaboration and Partnership in Tourism Transportation’
“The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) to lead the panel of discussants on ‘Personnel Training for Enhanced Performance and Service delivery in Tourism, Transportation, and Allied Industries ‘; while the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) is leading discussions on ‘Impact of Climate/Weather Forecasting on Tourism in the Sectoral Planning of Nigeria.’
“The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) will chair discussions on ‘Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Procedures: Sharing Expertise on Export Documentation, Logistics and Freight Management in the Tourism Transportation Sector.’
Odusanwo stressed that NTT summits has since inception in 2018, offered the platform for public and private sector stakeholders, producers and consumers in Nigeria and Africa to come together, share ideas, experiences, exchange knowledge and showcase their skills in the growth, development and promotion of the nation’s economic endowments, this time, by promoting the ideals of the value chain inherent in the tourism transportation sector.
Participants at the two-day event will be drawn from major key players and stakeholders in the transportation and tourism sectors such as the airlines, tour and travel operators, administrators of the aviation industry; the maritime industry operators, road transport operators, including major transport owners, car hire and hail ride services. In addition, road traffic and safety agencies, including the FRSC, motor insurance companies; state transport ministries and agencies; rail transport services, are also expected to take part.
Others are operators of the Tourism and Hospitality (T&H) industry including, tourism resort operators, national parks; museums and monuments, state tourism ministries and boards, festivals and tourism events managers; fast food operators; M.I.C.E and destination managers; as well as, service providers in the banking, oil and gas industries.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Every living being must eat to stay alive – fact; anyone who wishes to pass an examination must study – fact; he that must stay healthy, must pay attention to his health – fact, and whoever is desirous to earn money must work. The list is endless. The idea here is that life is governed by principles – a case study of whatever one sows, one must reap. As a matter of fact, when one abides by the principles governing anything, the principles are bound to work for them.
These principles are like faith. It is whatever you believe that will work for you. Let me elaborate a little; if someone goes to the hospital, and the doctor gives him a pill, if the person gets better, it is not necessarily the pill that heals the person, though it plays a role, what healed the person is the person’s faith. This is because if you don’t have faith in the pill, it won’t work. Healing can be spiritual sometimes. One must be healed in the mind first before the physical healing takes place. It’s just like a man of God praying for a sick person, the person will have to believe in the prayers before it can work for him.
The importance of this analysis is that before any success can be achieved, one must do the work. It’s unfortunate however, that some of us need opportunities, benefits, resources, money, and results, but are not ready to do the corresponding work. In this journey called life, one must work. It’s only when you work, you will be celebrated. Work comes in different ways; all that is important is for one to understand their assignment, and work diligently to pursue it to a logical conclusion.
It’s instructive to note that there’s nothing like a big or small work. Every work is necessary when there’s teamwork. Just like the father needs the son for errands, the son also needs the father for provision and protection. So, in any capacity you find yourself, just know that you are valuable.
To understand how value works with respect to dignity of labour, imagine the human system, if the anus decides to shut down, the whole body will be uncomfortable. Every part of the human body is indispensable. They must all work together for the human body to function at its optimal capacity. This is the attitude we should have when we are working.
The importance of work cannot be overemphasized. Your work makes it easier for people to identify with you especially in this 21st century when technology is the new normal. It’s easy for one to search the internet just to find out about somebody’s work. Just imagine someone pitching for funding to a fortune 500 company or making a proposal for funding to do some work on youth advocacy, but there’s nothing on the internet to testify to that effect. If you want to prove your passion for youth advocacy, there must be work to that effect.
On a personal note, I do tell my friends, I’m a lawyer by training, public speaker by interest, author by inspiration, and youth advocate by passion. The interesting part is that if you look me up, you will find relevant information about all the above-mentioned interests of mine, but the youth advocacy will be outstanding. So, you can see that my work speaks volume.
If anyone wants to assist you, the blessings will come from the work you do. This is because manna does not fall from heaven, men are the vessels. Do you know that when we pray to God for blessings, opportunities, favors or money, God answers with a plan. Yes, the plan is the associated work that one must do. Let me share a practical example, if you want a chair, God will not do a miracle to provide you a chair, but God will provide the materials in the form of wood for you to make the chair.
It’s sad to see lazy people, who just believe in miracles without corresponding work. Some just believe God will send manna from above. Don’t get me wrong, these opportunities do come by occasionally, and when they do come, one will know it’s a miracle.
The journey of life isn’t easy, one must continually work smart and believe our work will align with our desires.
Sometimes, when we work, we don’t know when the results will surface. In some cases, we don’t even see the results. In such cases, one shouldn’t be deterred, provided you are doing the needful, the work will one day speak for itself. I remembered when I was working on my first book, it was like hell because of the intense research that went into the manuscript, but today, when I look back, I thank God for the grace.
When one work, one should also have the faith that the work will produce results. Sometimes, the answer to our prayers is tied to the work we do. One might be searching for answers in different areas, but the answer might be beside us. Sometimes, we look for destiny helpers, benefactors, opportunities, etc., what we fail to understand is that all we seek might be connected to the work we do. So, imagine when one decides to do nothing, how will something happen?
Furthermore, while it is good to pray, it is also good to work because they go together. While prayer releases God’s favour, work unleashes the force of man. We must be willing to work for what we pray for.
In conclusion, when it comes to work, have the mindset that at the end of the day, we will be remembered for the work we did. So, ask yourself, which legacy would you want to be remembered for? When you can answer these questions, you will be intentional with the kind of work you want your children to remember you for while you were on earth.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
